Monthly Archives: September 2013

Inspiring Quotes for Food Bloggers from the International Food Blogger Conference

30 Monday Sep 2013

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learning_notes_ifbc_student

Sometimes I miss being at school.  I miss taking notes, and being a student in the classroom.  This feeling of active learning and participating came back a few weekends ago when I attended the International Food Blogger Conference held by Foodista.com in Seattle, WA.

I would like to share these inspiring quotes and thoughts from a few of the speakers.

The first set of quotes is from Dorie Greenspan, who was the welcoming speaker at the conference.  Dorie is a well-known author of many cookbooks and a well-respected and admired culinary professional.  She charmed the audience with her warmth, candor, and kindness.

The next set of quotes is from the dynamic duo of Andrew Scrivani, the food photographer and stylist for NY Times among many other clients, and Chef John of FoodWishes.

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 By the end of the conference, the small notepad was filled with notes, comments, inspirations and to-dos.  The great thing about this, that even though “school section” is over, the learning continues on daily basis.  And next year, I shall attend the next session of IFBC, once again here, in Seattle. The registration is open and once again, food bloggers are being offered an incredible opportunity to attend the conference at a discounted rate, in return for three written posts.  What a deal!

Dining Around Seattle – Bottlehouse, Bistro Turkuaz, Glassbaby

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Happy Hour, Restaurant Review, Seattle, Wine

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“Where should we eat tonight?” is the standard way Priya and I begin start planning our girlfriends’ date nights.  “How about I meet you at Madrona and we’ll explore the neighborhood,” I answered innocently enough.  And that’s what we did.

We started the tour of the neighborhood with a stop at Glassbaby.  This particular location had a glass blowing studio behind the shop.  We watched the “babies” being made.  Quite amazing!

Which colors would you choose?  I clearly would have gone for a combination of turquoise and orange.  Because each “baby” is made by hand, every one is slightly different.

We strolled up the street and came across The Bottlehouse.  We happened to be there in the middle of their happy hour, so we grabbed a seat outside and waited to order.

Before we had a chance to order, the Seattle windy evening kicked into gear and we swiftly moved inside the Bottlehouse.

For snacks, we ordered a bowl of castelvetrano olives and a selection of cheese with crackers.

I was intent to photograph the food, as per usual.  Photo courtesy of Priya.  I do hope you notice that I’m wearing my favorite Allrecipes color – orange!  In fact, this top was what I wore for my job interview.

Back to the wine, I sipped a glass of rose and Priya cheered to our date with a glass of non-oaked Chardonnay.  Salute!

We left Bottlehouse and headed to Bistro Turkuaz for authentic Turkish food.  I only wish we were more hungry or had more people with us so that we could try a few more dishes on the menu.

For the appetizer, we shared Acuka – a spread made with roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.  It came with triangles of warm pita bread and one olive.  Oh the spread!  It must have been pureed until perfectly smooth first and then folded pieces of toasted walnuts.  Interestingly enough, Priya and I made a similar spread months ago – check out our recipe.

I couldn’t stay away from lamb, so naturally, I ordered a grilled lamb kabob with a side of tabouli and a green salad.  The tabouli was definitely the star of the plate.  Earthy, chewy to the tooth and flavor-packed with parsley and lemon.  The side salad was dressed (slightly heavily) with pomegranate molasses and olive oil. I should have saved half for lunch.

We resisted a slice of baklava and headed out.  What a fantastic night, filled with the glow of candles illuminated by Glassybaby.  We noticed that many of the stores and restaurants in the neighborhoods were decorated with these, supporting one another and promoting the business.

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Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese ~ Classic Dinner Combination Dressed Up

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cooking, Dinner, Soup, Writing/Publishing

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Some foods just go together.  Mashed potatoes and meatloaf.  Burgers and fries.  Pizza and beer.  Last night, while I was having a quiet evening at home, I was craving one of these classic dinner combinations.  For me, it was a bowl of roasted tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  For full disclosure, I admit that the soup came straight from a container.  But worry not, I am giving you 5 ways to spruce up your tomato soup and 5 more ways to upgrade your grilled cheese sandwich!

5 Ways to Dress Up Roasted Tomato Soup:

  1. Add minced onion and garlic.  You can add the two raw, or quickly saute them in some olive oil.
  2. Add chopped herbs.  Basil is classic with tomatoes, but parsley and cilantro work equally as well.  Also, try chives, thyme, or green scallions.
  3. Drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil -or- balsamic glaze reduction – or – heavy cream.
  4. Serve with cheese croutons.  Think of this as the tomato soup and grilled cheese in one.  It’s purely delicious and you don’t have an extra plate to wash from holding the grilled cheese sandwich.
  5. Put an egg on it.  No joke.  A properly poached egg on top of the tomato soup is quite decadent and beautiful.

5 Ways to Dress Up Grilled Cheese:

  1. Switch up the bread.  Try focaccia, bagel, or croissant.
  2. Use a combination of shredded and sliced cheese inside.  Try a slice of smoked Gouda with shredded Swiss cheese.
  3. Fit thinly sliced onion and tomato between the bread and the cheese.  Spicy salami is another fantastic addition.
  4. Triple decker.  If you can’t get enough of the sandwich, build it with an extra slice of bread – and for an extra bonus, you’ll get to use more cheese.  Cheesy!
  5. Wrap the sandwich in bacon or prosciutto before frying.  This is kind of a joke, but I’m sure there will be at least a few of you who will try this.

What is your favorite dinner combination?
What is your favorite way to eat tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich?

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Yogurt Parfait ~ Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt

23 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by in Breakfast, Dairy, Healthy, Nuts, Product Review

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Have you had breakfast yet?  For the last few days I’ve been eating Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt.  This locally hand crafted yogurt is exclusive to Pike Place Market and just might give you an extra reason to visit Seattle.  Super creamy and rich, it comes in many varities.  I enjoyed the passion fruit the most – extremely fragrant, with seeds from the passion fruit incorporated with the yogurt.  They pop and burst inside your mouth with every bite you take.

Today, I layered the lemon curd Ellenos yogurt together with their plain variety on the botton of the glass.  Then, sprinkled fresh raspberries and topped with granola.  Could breakfast get any better? 

Be sure to check out Ellenos the next time you are at Pike Place Market and let me know what your favorite flavor is.  Enjoy!

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IFBC 2013 Countdown in Seattle

20 Friday Sep 2013

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I am at the edge of my seat as I am counting down the hours to the registration for the IFBC – International Food Blogger Conference, right here in Seattle.  The line up of speakers and attendees is long and impressive.  With limited time, it’s hard to choose which sessions to attend.  I wish I had my double, MangoTomato here with me, so we could split up and cover the ground.

International Food Blogger Conference 2013 Seattle

Business cards in hand, comfortable (semi) shoes are on, pen and notepad are ready.  Looking forward to the three days of meeting the bloggers, learning from the experts, and delicious bites and sips.

Are you attending?  Stop by to say hello!

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GMO Food Labeling – Where do you stand? Yes on 522!

19 Thursday Sep 2013

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Do you know what GMO means?  Many people don’t, and the answer might surprise you.  GMO stands for genetically modified organisms and we are surrounded by it.  You are likely to be shocked to find out the extent to which GMO penetrates most foods that we eat (primarily corn, soy, canola and sugar).

I attended a screening of GMO OMG last night, a beautiful, thoughtful film which documents a quest of a father who is concerned about the well-being of his three children – what they eat, what’s inside the food, the effect it will have for their future.  The children are cute, smart, bright, and make the movie very enjoyable as well.  There are statistics, data analysis, interviews, phone calls and road trips.  Sprinkled in between are ice cream cones, running through the rain, and fishing.

Regardless of whether you think GMO are harmful or not (to your health, to the environment, etc), don’t you think it is your right to know when GMO are used in food production?  I think so!  And with that, please do vote Yes on 522 to make GMO labeling a legal requirement.

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Deep Fried Oreos with Allrecipes.com!

13 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Allrecipes.com, Cookies, Cooking, Dessert, Video

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Alright, so you wouldn’t eat these every single day, but on a special occasion, why not?  We made multiple batches of Deep Fried Oreos at Allrecipes.com the other day, and let’s just say that everyone who tried these was a fan!

Here’s the video for making this state-fair-favorite dessert.  It’s on the homepage today!

 
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Spanish Tapas in Seattle ~ Chico Madrid Restaurant

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Restaurant Review, Seattle, Spanish

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Welcome to the taste of Spain right here, in Seattle, Washington at Chico Madrid Restaurant.  I’ve been lucky to visit Spain twice – once in Madrid and once in Barcelona.  I still remember the crowded, lively restaurants, where you are seated close enough to your neighbors to hear their conversations (and understand them if you are fluent in Spanish).  The hustle and bustle of the servers, small plates coming and going, pitchers of sangria getting empty and refilled…delicious memories!

I have been looking to relive these memories of Spain here at home, in Seattle and came close to it today. My friend Lera and I headed to Chico Madrid for our girls’ night and discovered quite a few tasty bites.
Welcome!  The happy hour offered $1 discount on sangria (red and wine), a mixed drink of red wine and coke or soda, and Spanish beer.  Our server was kind enough to bring out a taste of both red and white sangria, as well as two varieties of red we were considering.  We decided on the $18 bottle of Don Ramón 2012 Grenache/Tempranillo from Spain.
To start, we ordered a plate of olives and Serrano ham.  Interestingly enough, the olives were actually from Italy.  Nevertheless, they were delicious, slightly smoky with a hint of chocolate.  The ham, thinly sliced and drizzled with olive oil melted in the mouth.  The ham came with slices of toasted bread that I believe were lightly rubbed with garlic.

Next, we tried Spanish meatballs and roasted vegetables with Romesco sauce.  Unfortunately, the meatballs were a miss ~ tough and bland.  The vegetables, however, were well seasoned and reminded me of a popular Russian “caviar” dish – a combination of eggplant, pepper and tomatoes. 

We couldn’t pass on the order of Tortilla Española: Spanish omelette with potatoes, onion and aioli.  My preference is to have the tortilla served slightly cold.  This version came sliced into four pieces, garnished with piquillo peppers and anchovies, served cold.  The aioli could definitely use a bit more garlic and salt.

This was one delicious sandwich!  Crusty baguette from Columbia City Bakery was rubbed with tomatoes and layered with thinly sliced chorizo and generous slices of  garrotxa cheese.  I’d love this some day for breakfast or for lunch with lightly dressed arugula salad.
And we didn’t stop there! (Perhaps I should mention that Lera’s friend joined us for dinner, so we were sharing this between three people).  We decided to order Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Braised Beef Short Ribs.  This dish screamed autumn and winter.  Hearty, filling, rich and warm.  Forget having this as a tapas – served atop cheesy polenta, this would make an incredible meal.

And then it was time for dessert.  A coffee for me, a glass of Cava for Lera (some things never change).  We shared a chocolate-stuffed crepe and De Valdéon blue cheese with Ballard honey.  We should have skipped the crepe and ordered a double amount of the cheese.  The cheese was creamy, smooth and I’m sure went really well with honey (I skipped the honey and enjoyed the bread and cheese as they were).
We might be back one day.  I am hoping to see new items appear on the menu – perhaps more vegetables in simple preparation and a variety of olives along with a few seafood tapas.
To visit:
711 Bellevue Ave, Seattle, WA
206-453-3234
M-F: 7am-close
Sat: 8am-close
Sun: 8am-close

Olive Bread Crostini with Spicy Apricot Jam and Herb Cheese ~ Mystery Farmers’ Market Delight

10 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Appetizer, Bread, Cheese, Farmers Market, Vegetarian, You Buy I Cook

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Have you been to a farmers’ market lately?  Well, my friend Priya has, and she came back with a basket of market goods for me to cook with.  Lucky me!

I immediately reached out for a crusty loaf of olive-rosemary bread, amber-colored glass jar of spicy apricot jam, and soft, herb cheese.  Wouldn’t they make a perfect appetizer?

Olive Bread Crostini with Spicy Apricot Jam and Herb Cheese

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Slice bread into 1/3 inch slices and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

3.  Toast bread on both sides until golden-brown and crusty, about 5 minutes.

4.  Rub garlic over both sides of toast.

5.  Spread cheese and jam over the bread and eat immediately.  I am thinking a glass of chilled sparkling wine would go well with the crostini.

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Rosh Hashanah Apple-Stuffed Challah

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Baking, Bread, Challah, Dessert, Holidays

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Happy Rosh Hashanah. I would like to wish you all a sweet year.  We celebrate this holiday with a round Challah, apples, and honey.  This time, I baked my challah with my sweet friend, Alla.  We stuffed the challah with honey-sauteed apples and sprinkled it with sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

 I would recommend this recipe for challah from America’s Test Kitchen (feel free to substitute butter with oil and add a touch more sugar for a sweeter challah)

And check out Challah Apple Muffins I made a few years ago

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